Having a problem with my Kapex blade

[Erik Frederiksen]

I've attached a couple of pictures that show the how the blade has gotten a little bent.

At one of the cuts in the blade, the two sides are no longer in the same plane. The photos show the blade rotated 90 degrees, so that
in one the problem area is to the left, and in the other picture, to the bottom.

My local dealer thinks the blade may have become bound up when cutting at an angle. Could be, a couple of other people have used the saw occasionally.

The blade is 10 months old and has seen light to moderate use in 1-by and 2-by material, I'm a remodeler.

My dealer said Festool may replace the blade, they may not, he's returning it to them to find out.

Does anyone have any ideas about what's up with this blade? Is it defective?

Thanks,
Erik

[Dewey Torres]

Ok Erik...3 things:
1) You would think that a $1300 saw would come with a great blade that doesn't bend easily which leads me to number 2.
2) Repeat after me...No one but me uses my $1300 saw.:mad:
3) I would go ahead with the Festool replacement and immediately implement #2.

[george wilson]

Those are really large slits in the blade. I wonder if they got a little carried away?

[Craig Coney]

2) Repeat after me...No one but me uses my $1300 saw.:mad:


Ditto to Dewey's #2 above.

[Scott T Smith]

Ditto to Dewey's #2 above.

I second that ditto.

I'll loan some tools to folks that know how to properly use them... but not my Festools! It's too precise of a tool, and typically above and beyond the quality that many of my friends can appreciate or utilize. Should something happen, undoubtedly the friendship would suffer - either from them having to shell out big bucks to replace, me having to absorb big bucks to replace, or their own embarrassment if they didn't replace, etc.

High end dial calipers, micrometers, or other precision measuring instruments are not loaned for the same reason.

Not loaning "precision instruments" is one way to preserve the friendship.

[Erik Frederiksen]

Thanks for your input about loaning.

I didn't really loan it out. There are two other people I work with all the time and we typically have just one chop saw set up. Recently it's been mine. Kind of hard to tell them not to use it. Besides they're pretty responsible and knowledgeable. And they use it very rarely since I'm the guy who does the most woodwork.

I'm real curious though as to whether the saw blade is defective or one of my coworkers had an oops.

At least since we charge time and materials, I can bill the cost of a new blade ($125 US) to the job. And I might get a spare if Festool decides to replace it.

[Joe Jensen]

I've always worried that my blades will bend when an errant cutoff hits the blade and gets trapped between the fence and blade until it either breaks, or the blade flexes enough to let it pass. I watch pretty closely now days, but I've had this happen many times in the past. With my RAS too...joe

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Those are really large slits in the blade. I wonder if they got a little carried away?

I agree, seems like it would weaken the blade too much. Why are such aggressive cuts needed?

[John Lucas]

...1) You would think that at $1300 saw would come with a great blade that doesn't bend easily .


Your suggestion is that it wasnt a good blade. I have found just the opposite. I wouldnt put on a Forrest or other premium blade. The Festool blade that comes with it is wonderful.

[Dewey Torres]

Your suggestion is that it wasnt a good blade. I have found just the opposite. I wouldnt put on a Forrest or other premium blade. The Festool blade that comes with it is wonderful.


yes that is what I said but I did not suggest that the Blade was the problem!

I would expect that it is not the blade that is at fault...

I was not suggesting that the Fes blade was not a good blade.

[Richard Wolf]

At least since we charge time and materials, I can bill the cost of a new blade ($125 US) to the job. And I might get a spare if Festool decides to replace it.

Why would you bill a saw blade to a customer when it was either misused or defective? Not sure I can understand that logic.

Richard

[Ed Labadie]

Just to be safe, I would check the fences on the saw. Make sure they are still aligned in all directions and not bent.
If someone bound the saw enough to bend the blade, I'll guess there is other damage.

Ed